Nike has taken some heat for the way they’ve handled their sponsorship of Tiger Woods, for a couple of reasons:

a) Many are of the opinion that Nike should have stopped supporting him when news broke of Tiger’s now infamous sex scandal.

b) For the controversial advertisement Nike aired with the voice of Tiger’s late father seemingly lecturing his son for his wrongdoings.

Few; however, have considered the publicity Nike has received as a result of their decisions. Tiger Woods appears to be at the top of his game despite a 6 month absence from competition, and professional golf going into this weekend’s Masters at Augusta National, has never been bigger.

While I’m not here to defend Tiger Wood’s actions as a person, I am here to defend Nike’s decisions as a company. If Tiger returns as the world’s top golfer once again, allegations against him will likely be forgotten within a year as focus turns back to his on-course performance.

Instead of panicking, Nike has turned what could have been a PR disaster, into publicity for their own brand. Their recent advertisement does not ignore Tiger’s recent scandal, something Nike could have easily been criticized for. In fact, with the ad, Nike has taken to acknowledging Tiger’s mistakes, suggesting that sometimes reflection and change are required from even the best. Despite taking some criticism, the ad has been viewed by millions on YouTube and sets the brand up nicely for association with Tiger’s inevitable comeback story.